Dirakkis Turn 5
Actions: Akachk: Plans are drawn up for a new settlement on the coast, in the newly claimed territory of the Akachk. Dubbed Konigan, it is to be inhabited by settlers of all three tribes, and will be ruled by a council of elders under the jurisdiction of the Confederation as a whole. Built near one of the few natural harbors that the Akachk possess, it is intended to become a new center of trade for the lizard-folk, where their fledgling shipping industry can be born. (1, Income) Glass-blowing as an industry continues, though its popularity as jewelry never really returns. Talented glass-makers have begun to record famous events and stories of the Akachk within colored panes, and several wealthy patrons have taken to commissioning portraits in this fashion. (2, Culture) As the population continues to grow, and settlements expand, more Akachk begin pushing outwards to the southeastern coast, founding more and more small homesteads for ranching, and some farming. (3, Expansion) Sakahi's waking hours are spent fine-tuning his instrument, and then roving all around the Confederation's lands, testing his device and trying to gauge distances- he has to decide what configuration of lenses will work most effectively. (4, Spyglass) Stahl: (1&2 EPIC BABYMAKIN TECH) (3 culture ->religion) (4 MAGMA KUNG FU: military research) The population has suffered a significant loss. And the gold council has convened. But this time, there are representatives from the Long-gang, the Coppermen's guild and several community leaders of the Ironborn. Such a meeting is unheard of except in times of war. The gold queen from the third district of city spoke first "Ladies and gentlemen. We have just suffered the greatest population loss in the past thousand years. Perhaps it is too brash to expand the Stahl past our home. The mountains are where we belong." The Coppermen guild head, an old male worn from years of smithing, objected "We cannot sustain a life here forever. It is not that the stahl do not live well under the mountain. It is that the world is changing, undeniably. We have friends in the Skaldeans. But can we be sure of others? We know not how large the world is. We have to grow, not recede." The council argued as such for the night. The Long-gang representative abstained from the forum for the most part. As most Long-gang members she was unwavering in adherence to the code of iron, and strict in performance of her duty. She had to be, especially considering her candidacy as the next However, having witnessed the aftermath on the night of the massacre, she had no doubt in the Copperman's words. She did know, however, that such a council meeting could take months. They might have that time, or not, there was no way to know. She wasted no time, Steelborn were those of action not debate. She and her four companions from that night made their way deeper into the mountain. Three days through lava did they march. The stahl had need for guidance. Upon the return of the four companions, they were met by a contingency of 30 Steelguard. The four spent a week in interrogation, they weren't exactly supposed to just up and go visit the Platinum. But they did. And only she was the one he would give audience to. They had returned alone. But, they had returned with instruction. Brief, but clear. "My children wish to see the world? So be it. But I will need help." They were to send ten Goldborn to the platinum, five of each sex, to assist his work. META GAMING exposition time: The Stahl, you see, cannot be born with the Platinum, the one who gives them their souls. When the Stahl go to the lava to breed , they give birth to stillborn metal babies, they don't have souls yet, but are composed of living metal. The birth rate is so low, because one can only bind a soul to living metal so quickly. So they are placed into the lava to be brought to life by the Platinum. The Platinum seeks assistants, for with help one could give life to Stahl children much more efficiently. If the Stahl children come back at say, ten times the rate they do now, it would cause a pretty big jump in population,( making expansion and army raising easier) And so will ten Goldborn children be given to Stahl. To live the rest of their days assisting the work. (BABY-MAKIN TECH 1&2) With new trade came to discovery and use of PAPER. No longer were everyone's records written in stone tablets. This also meant good news for the church of the platinum! They began copying their holy scripts immediately, and distributing them to whomever would take them. (Culture 3) However, in the meantime the Long-gang member has been called to see the platinum. No one know what for. In the meantime the remaining 45 members of the Long-Gang have turned their eyes towards the lava. It has always held spiritual significance to the Stahl, as well it has regenerative properties (who needs doctors when you can remold yourself). But now the Steel Dragon turns to it as a potential source of power. They have found meditating in the heat has allowed them to maintain high body temperatures longer and longer afterwords. They train to seek to replicate this effect from sheer power of will. (MAGMA TECH: military research 4). Skaldaea: Following Amaranth's success in the initial expansion, Raven quickly orders him to begin the planning of another series of colonization attempts in the aftermath of the Shadowfall. (Expansion x1). While Amaranth prepares to lead his detachment towards the small peninsula to the northwest of Skaldaea, he realizes that the sheer scale of his attempt will likely be more than he can handle. Fortunately, Flenser's band has just returned to the capital with some rudimentary maps of the surrounding area, and Flenser is quickly recruited to the project. "I know that recently you've had a bit of a reputation for failure, Flenser. No offense meant, my friend, simply stating a fact." started Amaranth, as Flenser began to rise from the armchairs he had settled into a moment before. "Simply stating the opinions of the people. Not everyone in the government is your enemy, and those who have access to the government's expense reports know that your projects tend to be...underfunded, shall we say? And in spite of that, you seem to have come up with some solid results, even if your missions have been largely deemed failures. This expansion Raven is ordering....it's risky. But with some help, I might be able to pull it off. With your help." Flenser looked Amaranth's speaking member in the eyes, before nodding. "I could use a bit of funding for once. And you may be right, may credibility does seem to have suffered as of late. Fine, yes, show me the map. What do you have so far?" (Expansion x1). Amaranth and Flenser both stood, striding across the slightly chill stone room to stand besides the roaring hearth, their 9 members arrayed around a table strewn with maps. Amaranth's speaking member stroked his copper colored mustache, curling a drooping end with a finger as he spoke. "Well, to ensure some successful supply lines, Tamer is already moving resources into position to establish a number of small farming villages between here and the coast. From there, I want you to move into these low lying hills in the area, establish a small town, and some mines. Your town will serve as a market center for Tamer's farmland, and allow our miners to pool their resources at a central location. Finally, I'll use that town to springboard to the coast, establishing a port city, one that can provide us with a vital trade port." Flenser nodded in agreement. "That mining town will be crucial then. You're right, we absolutely need that port. However, if that is the case, I'd advise you to let me found the town here instead. It's got a source of fresh water, and should be a bit more defensible from the remaining tribals in the area. Especially if we can get a small fortification up." Amaranth nodded in agreement. "You have full command of your portion of the mission. If everything is satisfactory, I'll have my page forward you the dossier by this evening. The pair shook hands, and Flenser headed back to his chambers in the keep, leaving Amaranth staring into the fire. (Expansion x1). Finally, Raven realizes that the stores of extra food and high protein diets may not be enough to mitigate the Shadowfall. Therefore, she sets her scientists to experiment with a recently discovered compound known as moonsilver. Created by combining quicksilver with other minerals to create a powdery white compound, and applied to the skin, it appears to help block the influence of the Dark Moon. (Dark Moon Tech Continued x1) TL:DR Expansionx3 Dark Moonx1 Phantasmagoria: Hypnosomus is pleased with himself at the spirit Morpheons' work. You could say smug as a rather large bug in a rug the size of a tropical island. With the impending moon, he feels that he should take it easy for now and just watch his plants grow and the animals graze. The pink fruit continues to sit alone, waiting for an animal to take interest. income roll culture roll military roll Army-raising tech: same as last turn Kingdom of the Stars: As a hunter, Ake had no limits. He was strong, brutal and cunning. He knew the lands of the people like no other. For 40 years he had stalked the cold tundra alone, felling Gargamouth and sabre alike with ease. His sense of smell was flawless, his eyes superb, no beast could escape him once he learned of its existence. For those forty long winters he had provided food for the people. On his back, whole villages were fed. Yet now, he knew disgrace. He was found wanting in the eyes of his father. Submission, however, was not in his nature. His many years in the wild alone had limited his ability to lead. There was no need to direct anyone but himself before. There are, however, ways to lead the people beyond charisma. THe father's control was rooted in his mastery of magics. Ake would follow suit. He spent is nights in contemplation of the dark moon. His howls tearing through the night as he attempted to connect with the magics beyond his world. Sleep was for the weak. Ake was strong. (meta so hard 1+2) The light of the mother served to make even the harshest lands habitable, and the people took full advantage. Villages of all sizes sprung up all along the coast, such as the thriving Port Skegness. The people spread, bred, hunted and farmed. FOr once, the lives of the people were not cut short by hunger. Without these deaths, populations boomed, and new pup and ancient grey alike all gave praise to the mother. (expand harder 3+4) N.B.R.: Kerlioh looks up from her notebook, as the cow watcher enters her hut off the bay. He nods to her, and hands her a small whistle. She rises and moves to the bay. Its time to test the Cow Blower (Coast Cow 1) Ioriga drops the platepigs tough, plated hide on the ground of the stable. The stablemaster grunts at him. "What do you want me to do with this?" Ioriga simply replies; "Armor. For bears." (Gib me bear armor 2) Elder Raddomn walks out to the open square, addressing the gathering crowd through his newly appointed speaking pineapple. "Today, is a day of celebration and molasses. I shall have three melons with my roasted molasses tonight, as is tradition in my homeland. Oil is the root of all evil. Now lets get these fat people rolling once again!" (Rotund Racing becomes official Culture 3) A textile merchant has taken a design from a commonly caught deepwater fish, the hammerhead sewer. This beast uses a thread from its jaws to stitch its prey together and eat it whole. She attempts to mimic this action, although the inedible nature of cloth slows her progress somewhat. (Income 4). Ramkarh: It had been a stressful day at court. The atmosphere was tense as debate raged over the proposal raised by a handful of smiths. Since the spike in demand for silverwork, one of them had decided to stall production until Batis, their patron god, was afforded the same station as the gods of the Great Palace. Sides were taken and for the past several hours, Seb’Ankarh had attacked and rebuffed statements from Laik’Marin and another raven-haired priestess. (Culture 1) Kif hadn’t heard her speak before – she was no doubt of some station of importance, but he had enough names to remember as it was. As the day’s discussion concluded, he waded through the throng to find Rik, who had been seated with the other smiths nearer to the royal seat. He seemed oddly distracted and distant, though, and only gave short answers to Kif’s questions about his work. He hadn’t been vocal while court was in session, either. It was unlike him, really. They had never been as close as their wives, but he was usually personable and friendly. Today, though, after just a few brief sentences, he began to wander back to the temples, muttering under his breath about his work. (Dark Moon tech 2) Confused by his friend’s behavior, he heard a pair of voices rising above the crowd. Looking over, he saw the raven-haired priestess speaking to a woman in Laiknathe’s vestments. It was hard to make out exactly what they were saying to each other – the raven-haired one seemed intent on learning something about incantations for a process, and the crimson-haired seemed very cautious to give it to her. (Dark Moon tech 3 and Magic – Military 4). After a few moments of failing to catch anything of significance, he turned and began his journey home. Conclave of the Gods: There would be no progress on Remora until the increasingly excited Dunlap's whims were met. Poring over Commeran law texts during the day, Dunlap, kept talking about how the humans had set aside Remora as a separate, sovereign territory-- "a unique entity" that was not actually part of the merchant state, and not beholden to Commeran law. The four gods qualified as their own nation, and all the land of the island was theirs--permanently. If the humans ever found out that the Island of the Gods would be more aptly named That Island With Only Four Guys On It, Dunlap was certain that they would come back in and take the land for themselves. As an independent state, they needed to have allies that could protect them if this were to happen, and to do that, they would need some means of traversing over open water. That meant the swan boats. There were three of them now, and on a Wednesday, Dunlap reckoned that he himself could paddle one of the vessels halfway across the globe before it was even noon. (1-2, naval tech) Second, in order to feasibly have any hope of defending themselves, the gods needed their best fighter back on their shores. They needed Domnall. The God of Barfights had the power to sense where a bar was--anywhere on the globe--not even the most secret of speakeasies could slip past his detection. That was the thing--you could never tell where, or really when, he'd show up. There was a bar on the island--actually--there were two--one near the arrivals docks and one, apparently, on either the east or the west coast. Domnall wouldn't show up if neither places were in fit condition. Samin, the god most acclimated to the surrounding area and the lay of the island, is sent out to find whether the second bar is in refurbish-able condition. (3, expand) Finally, in order to make sure that Domnall will at least have someone to fight should he return home, Pung, after consulting with Dunlap, allows no more than six homeless people from Commera to live on the island. They are housed in shanties near the dockside bar itself, are forbidden to leave the picket fence that separates their tiny isolated living space from the mainland, and are encouraged to "go to the bar to unwind at random times of day, even when there is nothing to drink, no one there, or incredibly inconvenient for you." Stormborn: Despite all of Elias’ efforts, he has been unable to produce any results. Well, that is not entirely true; he has managed to make the cloud front thinner making us even more vulnerable to the moon’s effects. He is a good man, and working hard, but he does not seem to listen as well to the Syntolla as I would wish. They consistently tell him to “Let go,” and that “The storm is made to be wild and natural, not structured,” but he still seeks a concentrated effort. I recently paired him with Brigit MacAuley to try to help him loosen up a little. If anyone can get him to relax, it would be her. (Special Tech) Azura says that she can feel the Syngida weakening. It seems unlikely that she would feel it and the Syntolla would not, but she is determined. This time she has been joined by six others to create a circle in the hopes of calling more clouds into the Syngida’s midst. They start the call tonight and hopefully it will bring strength to us all. (Expansion) Artemis has once more become obsessed with creating a defense. His paranoia may prove dangerous at a later date, I will have to keep a close eye on him. He’s now quoting something about a sun and mobility, trying to explain the reasons for his actions. All I know for certain is that he is attempting to harness the power within the medallions to fire a concentrated bolt of lightning at its target. Hopefully the man doesn’t blow himself up in the process. Lastly, Braeden MacAuley has also found something to occupy his time. He’s decided that the many shipwrecks around our island could easily have lost goods worth trading. Because of this, he’s devised a means of creating an air bubble that can allow a person to explore the ocean’s depths. It seems like a waste of time, but at least it keeps him one MacAuley out of my hair. Besides, it might just produce something useful. -From the Journal of Atticus Vorn, The Generally Accepted as Most Likely to be Appointed Leader. Gorash: Songs of Panic- After realizing that the majority of their people had been lazy layabouts for quite some time, the Village Bards found themselves to be in quite the nasty predicament. So they put together their greatest minds and called upon the blessings of the One true God, so that the stirred beasts of the swamps may be used to further the aims of all Gorash. A handful of command signals were prepared and the training of the beasts was to begin. ( Expansion Tech 1/2 Military Tech 3/4). The Peters: 4 unfluffed income actions. Yeah. I know. Commera: There's a bar in Merova that is too expensive for the poor and too casual for the rich. It's mostly visited by successful merchants, craftsmen, casters, and rich people that came in drunk. The bar owner has done his best to give the bar a jocular feel, which is why the bar is named "The Spinning Room". "The Blistering Stick" closed down after a magical barfight, so the will-mages that used to frequent it have moved to The Spinning Room. The bartender, as insurance, started charging a "lunkhead fee" to anyone that looked like a will-mage. Tuesday nights were slow at The Spinning Room, because who the fuck drinks on a Tuesday. The only people in there were two alcoholic merchants, and alcoholic economy professor, an alcoholic nudge-mage, and a group of ten will-mages. The will-mages were celebrating the end of their month of self-imposed teetotaling. They were also going to hang out at a mining site the next morning once they'd all gotten hangovers. The alcoholic nudge mage watches them darkly for a while. Just as they're starting to get uncomfortable, he breaks the silence. "Hey, how many willows does it take to move a carriage?" The alcoholic economist smirks and asks, "How many?" The nudge mage answers him, a little louder, "Ten. Three to explain the necessity of discipline, two to watch, and learn, one to die in the attempt, three to rush the dead one to medical care, and one to give up and smack the horse by hand." The economist and the craftsman roar laughing – the others don't get it but they chuckle. The will mages laugh too, although it's a forced kind of laugh. "I can tell you spent a while on that one! Hey, how many nudgies does it take to light a candle?" He pauses a beat for a response before one of the other will mages answers him. "How many?" "Only one, but he needs you to light the match for him!" All of them roar laughing. The merchant laughs too - he's dealt with nudge mages. The nudgie's smile disappears. "I heard you guys were having some trouble lighting things on fire, actually. You couldn't... set a rock on fire?" "Yeah, mate. You could do better?" "Do *burp* better? I could have it done within an hour of getting back to my office! Rocks are like two nudges away from pure kersene!" "It's definitely not two nudges away from kerosene. Two nudges away from clay maybe." Another one pipes up, "You're two nudges away from alcohol poisoning, mate!" "Fine. A wager. I like wagers. If I can burn a rock before you can, you find a new bar." The bartender cuts him off. "I'll decide the wager. If you can burn a boulder before the will-mages, they'll pick up your gigantic tab. If they win, you have to buy their drinks the next three times they come in." One of the will-mages jumps in with "Four!", and the bartender agrees "Fine, four. Deal? Great, shake on it." (2x research in Nudge Magic, 2x research in Will magic.) Results: Akachk Confederation: 19, 5, 4, 18 The Order of Tenebin’s finest architects and engineers are put to work to design a city unlike anything yet seen in the Akachk Confederation. At first, craftsmen are wary working so close to the sea; they have seen great storms before bring with them massive and destructive waves, and they reinforce the natural harbor with great stone breakwaters, guaranteeing not only the safety of the ships from the weather, but also as a means of defense against attack. Then came the sewers and wells which provided clean water to the Akachk living within the city’s walls. At the center of the city, running right up to the docks, was the grand marketplace, an open air agora with all manner of goods from throughout the Confederation being traded freely with merchants both local and foreign. It was everything that Kana could have hoped for. (+4 income) However, the creation of such a city puts a great strain on the affluent of the Confederation. Few find the time to commission stained glass portraits, and instead documenting events this way is done rarely, as an act of charity by the rare glassblower who can spare the time from making ends meet. Similarly, fewer and fewer Akachk find they have the resources to be uprooting themselves when they are putting their time toward improving their most recent expansion. In the midst of all of this however, one kobold finds himself in the right place at the right time. The boom in naval transportation has made a high demand for his newly perfected “spyglass”, which allows the user to see far further than with the naked eye. It finds use by both watchmen and explorers who are willing to meet Sakahi’s price. (EPIC TECH GET- SPYGLASS: +1 to expansion, +5 to trade range, +25% chance to discover sneak attacks) (no other successes). Stahl: 19, 6, 18, 8 The Platinum is pleased with the children presented to him. Each is a beautiful thing, shaped from the lustrous metal of the highest caste of the Stahl. Besides himself, of course. This is to be something new, he thought to himself, something unlike anything yet done by a man of metal. These ten would have the power to bind a soul, to breathe life where there is none. But the Platinum would not hold his children back. Submerging himself deep within the lava, he brings the first child close to him. It is a girl, and, unless he is mistaken (he rarely is), one that will be quite a handful. He smiles. Just the right kind of person to help him put spirit into his people. With eyes of bright white fire, he holds the child close to him and begins his meditation, mixing the tiniest bit of platinum into the gold of her hair. (EPIC TECH GET- Platinum alloys- +1 army raising) Paper documents appear to be just the thing that the church needed to boost its membership. While every Stahl already acknowledged the church, many now find themselves buried in pamphlets, causing many to attend meetings and ceremonies just to attempt to make the onslaught of paper stop. The Long Gang find themselves attending the ceremonies as well as they begin to heap pleas upon the platinum that their wills be strong enough to become like magma. None have succeeded. (+3 culture, no military success). Skaldaea: 16, 13, 19, 5 Raven is ecstatic. Amaranth’s name has become synonymous with success in Skaldaea, and, as requested, reports have quickly come flooding in of new towns springing up throughout the countryside, all the way to a small port on in the northwest. It is more than she had hoped for. Along with these messages come letters from Amaranth, praising the strange but effective maps that Flenser provided for him. Raven smirks. Flenser always performed better when he was working under someone else. Another of her members stands contemplating the map while she reads. After a moment of concentration, she marks down the approximate locations of the two new towns in the hills and on the coast. (TRIPLE EXPANSION GET, -30 wealth, +15 income) However, many of the scientists Raven has tasked with developing the quicksilver compound have died as martyrs in the fight against the Dark Moon. The compound is riddled with problems. Firstly, its powdered form gives it a tendency to be inhaled or swallowed accidentally, causing an onset of coughing and vomiting. For those who successfully apply it, however, the effects are much worse. Somehow the compound is being absorbed through the skin, igniting it with burning pain and causing the victims hair and nails to flee the body. The reports are horrifying, and Raven is advised by many to cancel this particular line of research. (No Dark Moon Tech). Phantasmagoria: 13, 2, 5, 8, 17 slow (-2 to all rolls due to the presence of the Dark Moon) As is custom in Golgannis, life burgeons just before the arrival of the Dark Moon. Hypnosomus is filled with happiness as he watches the morpheons and icelos tend to the massive forests and gardens they have created, admiring the herds of animals and flocks of birds that now rove through the hunterless haven. (+2 income) Sadly, this does not last long. Before long the Dark Moon arrives, bringing with it the terrible migraines and the earth-scorching moonfire. Hypnosomus can only mourn as great tracts of wilderness are set ablaze with brilliant purple fire, and the animals slain by strange human-like creatures. The sole protection for his notions are the spiny plants that he had urged them to invest their time into. Nestled amongst the nettles and vines, the icelos and morpheons watch as the rest of their creations are laid to ruin. (+1 military, no other successes). Kingdom of the Stars: 5, 19, 4, 17 “It’s great to be an alpha,” Ake thought to himself. His nightly meditations allowed him to follow in the ways of the father and learn the howls of command, the powerful tones the father used to move his children to obedience. With his newfound power Ake had turned scrappy hunters into a unified military force, who responded to his every demand flawlessly. This powerful magic meant that any strategy he imagined, any weapon that he would wield and any threat that he would hunt would be quickly adopted by his troops within a matter of days. Leaping up the stone of his command post, he lets out a long howl at night sky, one that is echoed by hundreds of his kin. (+1 to military research) A pleasant life was found by many of the people basking in the light of the mother. Port Skegness was a hub of vibrant activity unseen by the people in all their time in the tundra. Barges came and went like leaves in the wind, full of produce from farms, meat from hunters, and crafts from the city dwellers, bound for ports unknown. It is the product of a happy and healthy populace. (EXPANSION GET, -10 wealth, +5 income). N.B.R.: 13, -1, 1, 5 (-2 to all rolls due to the presence of the Dark Moon) Bears. Bears did not like armor. Bears barely tolerated Kerlioh’s saddles. But they did. Or at least, they had. But on that fateful morning, when the poor stablemaster first attempted to place the leather chestpiece on the front of the bear, something strange had occurred. Perhaps it was something the man had done to the bear while keeping it. Perhaps it was the influence of the Dark Moon. Or perhaps the suggestion of an armored bear was so preposterous that it was doomed to failure. Standing upon its massive hind legs, with a terrible roar it all but proclaimed, “Bearkind’s counterattack starts now!” before swatting down the helpless man and beginning the end of all things- the bear revolution. ( You now have a revolt in your only province, led by a crowd of ornery bears. Good luck man, you’re gonna need it.) Also, the cow blower works. Kind of. It just irritates the sea cows really and makes them attack whatever is closest. Handle with care. (EPIC TECH GET- WRATH OF THE SEA COW, +4 naval tech) Ramkarh: 3, 7, 17, 12 The Ramkarhan priests were not known for their civility towards one another. The debate over giving Batis a place among the gods of the great palace raged for days upon days, as the clergy made concessions and counterpoints and arguments. At one point it was sarcastically suggested that all gods be allowed in the great palace, a sentence which was soon regretted as priests of every god jumped into the conversation. Amidst the whirlwind of obscenities, slander and blasphemy, Laik’Marin toyed with her new silver anklet. It had taken a great deal of money to convince Rik to forge it what with the ongoing smith strike, but it had been worth it. Silver ankhs such as her own had been distributed to all of her priestesses, with the confidence that it would prevent the effects of the malevolent moon. At the same time however, she debated exactly how she would stop Elarin from weaponizing the Dark Moon's magic.. (DARK MOON TECH GET- no more roll penalties for you. Military tech needs another success). Conclave of the Gods: 19, 16, 21, 9 The Commeran merchant stares for a moment at the order in front of him. “For delivery to Remora, 600 peddle powered swan boats- white with orange beaks please, none of that yellow beaked tomfoolery” He shakes his head before filing the order away. With a few shouts at his men they begin loading the silly mode of transportation aboard his ship for launch the next day- they would need to repaint a few of the beaks. (+5 naval bonus) Meanwhile, Samin polishes a wooden tankard in the bar on the east coast. He was certain that any minute now one of the friendly hobos would arrive to drink only the finest imaginary alcohols. At least until the Commeran shipments started coming in. Until then, he would continue smiling hopefully at the door, pretending that the thought of the homeless stealing Commeran donations and leaving had not entered his head. (expansion GET, -10 wealth, +5 income, no culture success). Stormborn: 3, 20, 9, 19 The winds of change have come to the Syngida. Despite the best efforts of Elias and Brigit, the storm refuses to be held in place any longer, and it is only by the great efforts of Azura’s circle that complete disaster is averted. No longer will the storm exist only above the island. The eye moves westward, but the circle spins clouds into existence in its wake, extending the storm instead of lingering behind it. It in essence makes the mighty storm even larger, though the winds have slowed somewhat. Now its furthest edges can be found on the eastern coast of Della, and many stormborn winddance to explore these new lands. (Expansion GET, -10 wealth, +5 income) Artemis avoids blowing himself up, though he finds that the storm will not so easily be contained within a mere trinket. Braeden however, finds success in manipulating air instead of lightning. The bubble-dive technique is a great success, allowing its occupant to travel below the surface of the water without fear of drowning. However, the depth and duration of the journey varies greatly depending on the will and strength of the creator, and it becomes most useful in shallow bays and inlets. (+4 income). Gorash: 18, 3, 17, 7 The Village Bards are quite fed up with the giant salamanders lounging about their towns. They had at first been quite relieved when they had stopped rampaging and eating all of their strawberries, but now they were just kind of… there. Still waking people up with their childlike cries, still taking up precious space on the ground beneath the tree houses. In their frustration, the Bards offered up their prayers to their central deity, the Great Decider, the god of chance. They prayed for an opportunity to make use of these lizards, and the vision to see it when it arrived. When the strawberries began to bloom once more, they saw their chance. With heavy application of song, whips, and strawberries, the Village Bards tamed the massive amphibians and set them to task clearing out great spaces for new fields as well as training them for defense against the monsters of their swampy home. (Epic tech GET!- Giant Salamander Brigades- +1 to expansion, +3 to military). Peters: 10, 2, 17, 7 Peter had never quite understood why the Peters used stone slabs for their messages. It seemed like such an inefficient method of communication. While the tools in his lab made the actual carving of messages short work, the slabs themselves would sometimes be dropped and the entire message need to be rewritten. It was inefficient, it was resource intensive, and dammit it involved physical labor. Peter was decidedly not about it. Therefore, he began tinkering with a system of tubes he had found on the island, which had an access point in almost every room. By grinding the handwavium crystals to a fine dust and coating the tubes with it, he found it created a nearly frictionless tunnel, which allowed the stone slabs to be sent between laboratories rapidly instead of having to be carried to their destination. Soon, nearly every Peter was passing along messages through Peter’s new system. (A series of tubes, income +3). Commera: 15, 10, 8, 6 That very night, the drunken nudge mage stumbles out into the cold Commeran night. Willows. Buncha stuck up, holier-than-thou, do-it-on-our-own, pricks. Nudge magic was just as good. Got the job done at least. So what if he needed a dead man’s arm to give an amputee a working one. It worked didn’t it? The decay smell washed out after a week or two, that’s why he gave the free amputation guarantee! Setting a rock on fire was just strange. Why on earth did they want to see that? Didn’t make sense! The mage wandered for a while before bringing his lantern down in front of him. Making a rock burn couldn’t be that hard, he thought. It just had to be hot enough. For seven hours, until the sun hard started to rise, the mage warmed the smooth stone over the fire of his lantern, blowing on it occasionally like it was kindling. At last, it ignited with a burst of orange color, startling the drunkard and knocking him flat on his ass. Then he began to laugh. Tonight, drinks were on him! (Nudgies rule, willows drool, +3 income from collective willow bet loss). = Category:Nationbuilder VII Turn Records